Complaints and Compliments received by HSC Trusts in Northern Ireland (2022/23)

The Department of Health today published statistics on complaint issues and compliments received by the six Health and Social Care (HSC) Trusts during 2022/23. It also includes information on complaints against Family Practitioner Services in Northern Ireland for the year ending 31 March 2023

• The highest percentage of complaint issues received in 2022/23 related to the ‘Accident & Emergency’ specialty (1,211, 15.8%) (Table 7).
• Of the 5,033 complaints received, the median age of the patient / client was 45 years (Figure 9).
• On average HSC Trusts took 31.9 working days to provide a substantive response to complaints received in 2022/23 (Table 9, Figure 14).
• During 2022/23, 26,474 compliments (via card, email, feedback form, care opinion, letter, social media or telephone) were received by HSC Trusts in Northern Ireland (Table 16, Figure 22).
• Of the 26,474 compliments received by HSC Trusts, 11,946 (45.1%) related to ‘Quality of Treatment & Care’, 8,327 (31.5%) to ‘Staff Attitude & Behaviour’, 2,398 (9.1%) to ‘Information & Communication’, 2,202 (8.3%) to ‘Environment’, and 1,601 (6.0%) to ‘Other’ subjects (Table 16, Figure 21).

Last Five Years (2018/19 – 2022/23)

• Since 2018/19, the number of complaint issues received by HSC Trusts increased from 6,049 to 7,671 in 2022/23 (Table 1, Figure 2).
• Over the last five years, all six HSC Trusts reported an increase in the number of complaint issues received; with the largest increase (68.1%) reported by the Southern Trust (Table 1, Figure 2).
• Between 2018/19 and 2022/23, the largest increase in the number of complaint issues (620, 17.1%) was reported in the ‘Acute’ POC (3,626 to 4,246) (Table 3).
• Complaint’s’ issues relating to Family Practitioner Services decreased (109, 34.4%) in 2022/23 compared to the 2018/19 year (Table 10, Figure 15).

The information release is published on the Departmental website at: https://www.health-ni.gov.uk/articles/complaints-statistics  

Notes to editors: 

1. The information detailed in this publication is derived from two separate statistical returns provided by the six HSC Trusts including the Ambulance Service (NIAS), (i) complaints, and (ii) compliments received by HSC Trusts. It also includes information on FPS complaints derived from the SPPG Complaints Team CH8 statistical return.
2. This statistical bulletin provides information on the number of HSC Trust complaint issues received, the programme of care (POC), category, subject and specialty of the complaint issue. For complaints received it also provides details on the age of the patient / client, gender of the patient / client, relationship of the complainant to the patient / client, the method of complaint and the average number of working days to provide a substantive response to a complaint.
3. Information on compliments received by HSC Trusts reports on the subject of the compliment and method by which the compliment was received.
4. All information has been validated with HSC Trusts and SPPG Complaints Team, and incorporates all returns and amendments received up to 8 August 2023.
5. For media enquiries please contact DoH Press Office by email: pressoffice@health-ni.gov.uk.
6. Follow us on Twitter @healthdpt.
7. The Executive Information Service operates an out of hours service For Media Enquiries Only between 1800hrs and 0800hrs Monday to Friday and at weekends and public holidays. The duty press officer can be contacted on 028 9037 8110.

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